PDP, Atiku, Saraki, NBA oppose CJN Onnoghen’s suspension

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its Presidential Candidate,
Atiku Abubakar, the Senate President, Bukola Saraki have rejected the
appointment of acting Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN).


Suspended CJN Onnoghen

The Nigerian Bar Association called the suspension a’coup’.

The PDP in a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr
Kola Ologbondiyan, on Friday in Abuja, said that the PDP rejected in
its entirety, the attempts to foist an illegal Chief Justice on the
nation while the substantive CJN, Justice Walter Onnoghen remains in
office.

President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday suspended Onnoghen, pending the
completion of his trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) and sworn
in Justice Ibrahim Tanko Mohammed, from Bauchi State, as the acting CJN.

According to the president, the suspension was as a result of the
ongoing trial of Onnoghen by the CCT and subsequent order of the
tribunal directing him to suspend him, pending the completion of his
trial.

Ologbondiyan who is also the Director, Media and Publicity, PDP
Presidential Campaign Organization (PPCO) said that the PDP firmly held
that such impunity could not stand, as Nigeria is a nation governed by
law.

He called on the National Assembly to immediately reconvene and
proceed with legislative actions against President Buhari over the
suspension.

“There can be no two Chief Justices of Nigeria. Our constitution is
clear on how a Chief Justice is appointed and removed, as such does not
lie on the prerogative of the President.

“As such, we urge all Nigerians and the international community to recognize only Onnoghen as the Chief Justice of Nigeria.

Ologbondiyan invited the international community and particularly the
United States and the United Kingdom to note that the action was an
assault on the judiciary geared towards subverting the 2019 general
elections.

“Nigeria is a democratic state governed by the constitution and the
law and Nigerians will never allow anybody to appropriate rulership to
himself outside the dictates of the law,” Ologbondiyan said.

Similarly, Atiku Abubakar rejected the appointment of an acting CJN
and call on Justice Onnoghen and the judiciary to resist with every
legal and constitutional means that they could muster.

Abubakar in a statement described the President’s action as the
latest in the ongoing rape of the nation’s hard earned democracy .

“The fact that the unlawful suspension of Onnoghen was announced just
as it became public knowledge that the CJN was constituting the
election petition tribunals is not lost on discerning Nigerians and the
international community.

” This act of desperation is geared towards affecting the outcome of the 2019 Presidential elections.

“Indeed, it is not just the CJN that has been “suspended”, it is the
Nigerian Constitution that has been infracted and, in effect, suspended,
under the guise of the suspension of the CJN.

Abubakar called for unity amongst the judiciary, saying they should not allow the APC government turn them against yourselves.

“The judiciary is the last hope of the common man and the defender of our democracy.

“I also urge the international community to follow the commendable
example of the United States and the United Kingdom by intervening to
make those involved in this undemocratic act know that their actions
will have consequences. Strong consequences.”

He also urged Nigerian electorate to save the country from dictatorship by voting against desperate war against the judiciary.

In another reaction, Senate President Bukola Saraki, expressed concern over the suspension of Onnoghen.

Saraki, in a statement, said that the suspension was alien to the Constitution.

“There are already the general belief that this action was taken to
pre-empt the already scheduled inauguration of election petition
tribunals by Onnoghen.

“By unilaterally suspending the CJN without following the provision
of the constitution is a dangerous signal to the entire world.

“Our Constitution makes no provision for suspension of the nation’s
highest judicial officer. The constitution provides a clear process for
removal of the CJN and specifies the roles of the three arms of
government, beginning from the National Judicial Council (NJC), the
National Assembly and the Presidency.

“They all have different roles to play in that process, ” he said.

He called for reversal of the decision to allow due process of law to
take its natural course in determining the guilt or otherwise and
suitability of Onnoghen to continue as the head of the nation’s
judiciary.

The Nigerian Bar Association, (NBA) described the suspension as as a coup against the judiciary.

NBA President, Mr Paul Usoro (SAN) also condemned the swearing-in of Justice Ibrahim Mohammed as Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria. (CJN).

He said the action of the executive portends a slide into anarchy,
adding, “It is also a complete deconstruction of the rule of law and due
process”.

“The NBA unequivocally rejects and condemns this attempted coup
against the Nigerian Judiciary and evident suspension of the Nigerian
Constitution by the Executive arm of the Federal Government.

“It amounts to an absolute breach of the constitution and the
usurpation of the powers of the senate and the Nigerian Judicial
Council,”Usoro said.

He said the Tribunal had on January 22, adjourned its proceedings to
January 28 and has before it a Motion on Notice that is yet to be
argued, wondering how it could have granted an ex parte motion on 23
January.

“The motion is seeking the same reliefs as were contained in the
purported ex parte application for the suspension of the CJN, among
others,” he said.

He called on the Federal Government to avert the looming
constitutional crisis precipitated by what it described as an
ill-advised action.

“In particular, the NBA demands the reversal of the purported suspension of Justice Walter Onnoghen.

“We also call on the National Assembly to assert its constitutional
authority and powers and prevent this slide into chaos and erosion of
the rule of law”.